Lock for automobile steering-gears.



H P. MOTTOLA LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE STEERING GEARS APPupATmn 'HLED .APR. 1 1911 1,277,994.

PatentedSepi 3 Nib UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFIGE.

HARRY P. MOTTOLA, OF HAMMONTON, NEW JERSEY p j r LOOK FOR AUTOMOBILE STEERING-GEARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY P. Morronlx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammonton, in the county of Atlantic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain the' steering gears which are already in use.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to "provide a two-part lock adapted to be secured, one part to the steering shaft or wheel, which turns, and the other part to the stationary steering column, means being provided for inter-locking these twoparts in various positions, so as to hold the steer ing wheel from turning after it is locked.

A further objectof the invention is to .25 provide a lock of this naturewhich is relatively small, occupies but little space, and may be readilyset and released by the driver while occupyinghisiseat.

The above, other objects and advan- 80 tages of this. invention will be brought out in thefollowinjg. specific description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated .1n'the accompanying drawin wherein,

at Ti gur'e 1i isj'a' side elevation of a steering gear having the improved lock applied thereto.- p

Fig. 2 is'a perspective view of the lower lock part. i I Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the upper part. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of aportion of the steering column and wheel, showing the grooves therein for the reception of the sides of the lock parts.

45.. Referring to this drawing, 10 designates a steering column which, in the usual pres ent day construction, is mounted rigidly upon a motor vehicle. The usual steering wheel 11 is mounted on the top of the steer .50 ing column 10 and is adapted to turn thereon for operating the steering mechanism in the usual manner.

The steering column 10 isprovided in opi posits sides With, parallel rooves 12, and

the hub 13 of thesteering w eelis provided Specification of Letters Patent.

'the hub. of the steering wheel in it. site sides to receive the rivets 17, and by then applying Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

'Applioation and April 27, 1917. Serial No. 164,926.

on opposite sides with a pair of parallel grooves ll.

The movable part of the improved lock comprises a frame made up of opposed blocks 15 and 16, which are secured together attheir ends by rivet-s 17, or the like, which are of a size adapted to fit into the-grooves 14 of the steering wheel. These rivets 17 are adapted to fit snugly in the grooves and to hold the movable part of the lock from turning on the steering wheel.

The block, 16 may be of any desired length, and is provided in itslower edge with a roivof keeper openings 18.

The lower stationary part of the lock coinprises the spaced apart plates 19 and 20, adapted to fit against the opposite sides of thev steering column 10, and which are held rigidly thereagainstby rivets 21, or the 1ike, adapted to engage in the grooves 12 of the steering car and to holdthe lower part of the lock from turning on the steering column. lock project laterally toward the entrance side of the vehicle, so that access may be readily had thereto, and so that the permutation dial 22 may be observed by the operator in leaving and entering the vehicle. The plate 20 is provided with a sliding bolt 23 which projects upwardly from the plate and is adapted to enter the keeper openings 18 one at a-time. The projection 24 is carried by the bolt 23 and extends through the plate 20 and is adapted to move in a slot 25 for extending and retracting the bolt 23. The lock is adapted to hold the bolt 23 in extended position, and to prevent the retraction of the bolt, unless the require-t combination be set on the dial of the lock.

The members 17 may ofcourse be of other v formthan rivets, provided that they cannot be easily removed, and that they present a neat appearance.

'The improved lock device may be readily 1 and grooving the steering colun merely the parts of the lock andriveting or otherwise securing the retaining members 1?. The. front plate or block 16 Preferably, theparts of the' of the movable part is provided with a row of keeper openings to permit the locking of the steering wheel when turned into various angles, such as when it is desired to stop,

the vehicle with the road "steerin wheels turned at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle). a

It .is of c'ourse understood that various changes andv modifications may be made in the above specifically described construction ithout departing from the spirit of this in'venqio and being restricted only by the scope '01 the following. claim.

What is caimed is The coinbination witha steering column having opposed transverse grooves in the upper surface thereof, a Steering wheel r0- tat-able" with respect to the column and formed on the outer surface of its depend: ing huh portion with opposed grooves, of a frame embodying spaced blocks, one of which formed with an arcuate series. of spaced keeper openings in the under surface thereof, spaced parallel fasteners rigidly connecting the blocks in spaced relation with each other for holding the blocks upon op- Copr frame embodying spaced blocks one of which .15 formed with a slot Wl'llCll'OPEIiS at theupper and outer faces .of the bloclg spaced parallel fasteners connecting the blocks in spaced parallel relation with each other and for holding the blocks on opposite sides of the column, the last n'ientioned fasteners being seated in thegroores in the column, 'a locking bolt slidable in the slot n the'block and projecting through the end which opens at the upper surface of the block so as 'to removably engage'with any one of the keeper openings, a finger projection connected with the bolt and slidable through that end of the'slot which opens 

